Flynn: The center of multiple scandals

Michael Flynn served as national security adviser for only 24 days, said Amber Phillips in WashingtonPost.com. Yet the retired general “could indefinitely haunt the Trump administration” as the focal point of investigations into the White House’s growing Russia scandal. Flynn resigned on Feb. 13 after lying to Trump officials about whether he discussed lifting U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador. Since then, he has been accused of lying to the Pentagon about payments he received from Russia, and of being paid $530,000 to carry out unregistered lobbying work for Turkey. Trump’s team was reportedly told weeks before the inauguration that Flynn was under federal investigation for that clandestine lobbying work—but appointed him anyway. And when Trump tried to get nowousted FBI Director James Comey to lay off investigating Flynn, said David Graham in The Atlantic.com, he triggered the appointment of a special counsel. “The great mystery is why Trump has gone to such lengths to help Flynn.”

Remember, we currently have no proof of Flynn’s guilt, said David French in NationalReview.com. When he invoked the Fifth Amendment to decline a Senate subpoena to testify this week, Flynn’s critics saw it “as yet more smoke from a raging fire of conspiracy and treason.” But pleading the Fifth is what any prudent citizen facing a federal investigation would do, even if he were innocent. Trump reportedly has sent Flynn messages to “stay strong” in the face of adversity, said Zack Beauchamp in Vox.com. How come? The president is usually quick to throw damaged subordinates under the bus. White House officials say Trump and Flynn bonded on the campaign trail, where Flynn often led the “Lock her up” chants. But with Flynn now under investigation both for taking payments from foreign governments and having multiple contacts with Russians during the campaign and transition, this loyalty “may end up bringing Trump down.”

“The idea that Trump would show ‘supreme loyalty’ to anything other than his own best interests is laughable,” said Jeet Heer in NewRepublic.com. We’re talking about a “thrice-married man” who dumped two wives he tired of and cut off health insurance for a nephew’s chronically ill child during an inheritance battle. There has to be a more “sinister” reason for his fierce allegiance. “When he tells Flynn to ‘stay strong,’ the message might simply be: ‘No snitching.’”